


Stars

by teleen



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-04 06:56:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teleen/pseuds/teleen





	Stars

“What do you see, when you look up at them?” Tosh asked him one night when they stood together out on the roof, he on the ledge, she safely back from it.

He looked at her, then up for a moment, then back to her.

“Places I’ve been, people I’ve met, things that haven’t happened yet… You know, the usual.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s a copout.”

Agile as a tiger, he leapt from the ledge and moved to kiss her deeply.  When they broke apart, she sighed. “If I ask you something you don’t want to answer, you could always just tell me so instead of trying to distract me.”

“Are you saying that I’m not distracting?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth!” He opened his mouth to reply.  She shushed him before he could get a word out. “Don’t say it!”

“What?” His face was a picture of angelic innocence.

“Don’t say anything about anything you’d like to put in my mouth!”

He looked hurt for a moment and then grinned. “It’s difficult for me to resist the temptation.”

“Try.” She looked at him.

He looked back for a long moment and then deflated.“All right.” He drew in a breath. “When I look up at them, I see everything and everyone I’ve ever lost and remember every stupid thing I’ve ever done.”

She cocked her head at him. “So you come up here to punish yourself?”

He blinked. “No.  I come up here because it’s peaceful.”

“I’ll ask again.  What do you see when you look up at the stars?”

“My past.”

She gave him a little smile. “I’m not going to ask you what you see when you look at me.”

He frowned a little. “Why not?”

“I don’t think I could stand it if you said something silly like ‘my future’.”

He groaned and looked at her, very seriously. “I’m sorry that I can’t.”

“I know.  It doesn’t matter.”

He opened his mouth to protest and for the second time in as many minutes, she shushed him. “Don’t.  I’m happy with now, aren’t you?”

“Now’s good.”

“I can think of a few things to do with now, if you’re game.”

“I thought you were tired.”

“I have a second wind. Better take advantage while you can.”

“Far be it from me to pass up an offer like that!”

He took her hand and marveled at how soft it was, even now, after so many years together.  It was funny, really. 

When they’d met she was the younger woman.

Now, he was the gigolo.

She’d be leaving him soon.  Not terribly soon, no, but soon enough that he could already almost see her in the stars.

He’d just have to be sure that he took every chance to make a memory he could until then.

He’d still lied to her.

The stars were more than just his past. 

He’d look at them and see more than just events or screw-ups - he’d see people.

Everyone he’d ever loved.

Everyone he’d ever missed.

Everyone that had ever mattered to him at all.

They were all in the stars.

But Tosh wasn’t there yet.


End file.
